Modern Art Obsessiontag:typepad.com,2003:weblog-2570232014-11-19T14:36:10-05:00Where the Pursuit of the Collection IS the Obsession TypePadDan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing a public kiss, naked.. Is this Art or just bad Taste?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e201bb07aee8e8970d2014-11-19T14:36:10-05:002014-11-19T14:46:34-05:00Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing, an oh too public kiss, naked..on a Billboard size image? Is this Art or just bad taste? Really for a straight Gagosian Artist, this is the best you can do, "Sweet Liberty"? Well.. Maybe MAO is just a total prude being honest. But, am I the only person who thinks, some artists, should probably learn to paint better keep their clothes on if they want attention by the art world ? There's almost nothing original about doing this, it's been done more tastefully so many times before. Like here, here and here, just to...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing, an oh too public kiss, naked..on a Billboard size image? Is this Art or just bad taste? Really for a straight Gagosian Artist, this is the best you can do, "Sweet Liberty"?

Well.. Maybe MAO is just a total prude being honest. But, am I the only person who thinks, some artists, should probably learn to paint better keep their clothes on if they want attention by the art world ?

There's almost nothing original about doing this, it's been done more tastefully so many times before. Like here, here and here, just to name a few.

In this Post-Gay world.. does anyone even care? If a Gay Tree Falls in the disco, no one even hears it. As an art gay mao-self, I'm a bit sadened by this PDA, aka.. Public Display for Attention!

And... Please... Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy try going to a gym puting some clothes on for your next exhibition!

Well, anyway, just click here to see the story and the pathetic photos.

11.5.2014

BY JULIEN SAUVALLE

Artists Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy shake up the narrative of romance

November 5 is a national holiday in the UK, commemorating Guy Fawks' failed attack on the Parliament House, in London. But today, the British capital became the stage of a different kind of celebration.

Displayed as a billboard-size image, the picture of Brooklyn-based artists Dan Colen and Kalup Linzy sharing a kiss, naked, in front of the Statue of Liberty, was unveiled on the city's London Bridge. "We feel it is our birthright to love without oppression or racism, things that have historically separated us," commented the two artists. "I think Kalup and I had a synchronised, inspired moment," Colen added.

The work, entitled "Sweet Liberty", hopes to disrupt familiar issues of identity politics and instead represent romance in its rawest, most rudimentary form.

Gallery Closings... it's sad to hear Galerie Stefan Röpke is closing.tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e201bb07ae0516970d2014-11-18T10:45:57-05:002014-11-18T10:45:57-05:00After 21 years of gallery business, Galerie Stefan Röpke,Köln, Germany presents its final exhibition. We guess this is just part of the natural gallery evolution, that you Darwin. So, no business lasts forever, but these folks had some really gay nice, important shows, and they have champoined some great artists. We'll miss them at the art fairs, and we wish them all the best in the future! Congrats on a great run. Here's their press release for their last show. Falling Into Darkness... Galerie Stefan Röpke is pleased to present Falling Into Darkness... curated by Sabrina Tesch, on view November...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

After 21 years of gallery business, Galerie Stefan Röpke,Köln, Germany presents its final exhibition. We guess this is just part of the natural gallery evolution, that you Darwin. So, no business lasts forever, but these folks had some really gay nice, important shows, and they have champoined some great artists. We'll miss them at the art fairs, and we wish them all the best in the future! Congrats on a great run.

After 21 years of business, Galerie Stefan Röpke presents its final exhibition. As old doors close, we hope new ones open, and in this spirit we have invited Sabrina Tesch, the gallery director, to curate her first group show. By combining works by artists that she has had the opportunity to work with during her almost 6 years at the gallery with others she has discovered by venturing out on her own, as well as works from private collections, Tesch is able to bring together her varied experiences in the art world, presenting a perspective uniquely her own.

We hope you will come to help us celebrate the 21 wonderful years we've enjoyed in Cologne and to see the intriguing exhibition that Sabrina Tesch has put together for all of us.

Art Maimi 2014.. is off to its expected start!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e201bb07ad93d9970d2014-11-17T16:35:17-05:002014-11-17T16:35:17-05:00Well.. it's been hard to attend Art Maimi the last few years... We tried in 2013..and only lasted an hour at their VIP Preview. So, for 2014, it looks like this year is already starting out like yet another total disaster typical year for this satelite art fair! We saw this ad in ArtForum this month for Art Miami. And all we can say is, Are they kidding ? Have they totally lost their mind, WOW, that's an impressive huge bronze cock chicken! With this as their advance ad to attact important collectors.. I'm sure the fair will be packed!MAO - Modern Art Obsession

Well.. it's been hard to attend Art Maimi the last few years... We tried in 2013..and only lasted an hour at their VIP Preview. So, for 2014, it looks like this year is already starting out like yet another total disaster typical year for this satelite art fair!

We saw this ad in ArtForum this month for Art Miami. And all we can say is, Are they kidding ? Have they totally lost their mind, WOW, that's an impressive huge bronze cock chicken!

With this as their advance ad to attact important collectors.. I'm sure the fair will be packed!

Artist Keltie Ferris... Painting Breaks the $100,000 Mark!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e201b7c706c3c9970b2014-11-14T16:35:33-05:002014-11-14T16:35:33-05:00So for all those fans of amazing women contemporary painters.. you had good reason to celebrate last night. At the Christies Afternoon sale yesterday, one of the US young women painters crossed a major hurdle. The $100,000 mark for a secondary market painting! WOW.. and it couldn't happen to a nicer more talented gal. Congrats to Keltie Ferris.. he paintings have been an impressive few years of powerful color expressions. She's had some strong success in the gallery and museum world, but yesterday who entered an eleite club of young living artists selling for over $100,000. It's a group generally...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

So for all those fans of amazing women contemporary painters.. you had good reason to celebrate last night. At the Christies Afternoon sale yesterday, one of the US young women painters crossed a major hurdle. The $100,000 mark for a secondary market painting! WOW.. and it couldn't happen to a nicer more talented gal.

Congrats to Keltie Ferris.. he paintings have been an impressive few years of powerful color expressions. She's had some strong success in the gallery and museum world, but yesterday who entered an eleite club of young living artists selling for over $100,000. It's a group generally reserved for only hot young ego maniacs guy painters.. so it's refreshing to see Keltie's success!

Lot Description

Provenance

Horton Gallery, New YorkAcquired from the above by the present owner, 2011

Exhibited

London, Saatchi Gallery, Abstract America Today, May-September 2014.

.

She was born in Louisville, KY, 1977, so not even 40 yet! She lives and works in Brooklyn, NY

More details about Keltie can be found here..

http://www.art21.org/artists/keltie-ferris

and at her NYC gallery... Mitchell-Innes Nash.. http://www.miandn.com/artists/keltie-ferris/works/1/

A Big MAO Congrats to Keltie Ferris! We can't wait to see more of your paintings!

Getting Ready for Art Basel Miami Beach 2014?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e201b7c706b303970b2014-11-14T14:38:08-05:002014-11-14T14:41:15-05:00Well Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 is near, the MAO email box is filled with invites to oh so many Miami events already, and it's only November 13th. But is anybody, who really collects Contemporary Art, going to Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 there to buy art? or are they just going to be seen or is that, scene? Our reporters have spoken to several long term art collectors, many say they are not going this year to ABMB because it's become such a circus of art tourists, and there are now just too many better art fairs around the...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

Well Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 is near, the MAO email box is filled with invites to oh so many Miami events already, and it's only November 13th.

But is anybody, who really collects Contemporary Art, going to Art Basel Miami Beach 2014 there to buy art? or are they just going to be seen or is that, scene?

Our reporters have spoken to several long term art collectors, many say they are not going this year to ABMB because it's become such a circus of art tourists, and there are now just too many better art fairs around the globe. Is this true? Has ABMB become a victum of it's own art fair success?

A true story, we had one rich and stupid totally Non-Art knowlegable friend tell us this summer.. "I am going to The Basel.."

So we said.. "you're going to Switzerland?"

They said," It's in Switzerland? No, I thought it was in Florida..."

Yikes!

Well To quote.. the brillient Yogi Berra on why he no longer went to Ruggeri’s, a St. Louis restaurant: “Nobody goes there anymore because it’s too crowded.”

Hmm.. something to think about!

Great New Photobook #2 - Conditions by Andres Marroquin Winklemantag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e20134899c8e09970c2010-11-30T12:29:52-05:002010-11-30T13:11:33-05:00Great New Photobook #2 - Conditions, (2010) by photographer Andres Marroquin Winkleman. Well.. this book might be the best kept secret of the 2010 photobook publishing world. Hardcover, Left & Right Binding 128 pages, 56 full color plates 26x21cm (10.2x8.2in) offset printed edition size: 300 This is the very first amazingg project of the newbie emerging photo art book publisher Meier und Müller. Like.. Who?? Yes... that was.. Meier und Müller a new photobook publisher, and you thought this business was DOA. (We guess, the company name, it's like "Smith and Jones" but in German.. a la.. photobooks for the...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

This is the very first amazingg project of the newbie emerging photo art book publisher Meier und Müller.

Like..

Who??

Yes... that was..

Meier und Müller a new photobook publisher, and you thought this business was DOA. (We guess, the company name, it's like "Smith and Jones" but in German.. a la.. photobooks for the common man. We can't wait to see what they do next.)

Anyway.. this new publisher is the brainchild of Photographer Andres Marroquin Winkleman and from the Godfather of the photo blog world.. Dr. Jorg M. Colberg..aka.. Conscientious.com. And all we at MAO have to say.. it's one super damn impressive first attempt. Congrats Gentleman!

Astutely edited by renown photographer Adam Bartos, Conditions is actually not just one nice photobook, it's more like 2 brilliant photobooks in one smart and thoughtful designed package. We found this presentation both totally fresh and innovative, plus we have never seen such a cool, very Japanese Provoke inspired Belly band included with this package! I bet, you'll find yourself flipping through these books so many times because each reading tells a slightly different story.

But, the nifty design is not just for design sake. In this photobook's case the physical exterior packaging harmoniously supports the interior image meanings and concepts. Making for a melodious photographic project.

Well.. first off, before I go one gushing anymore, to understand what the hell MAO is talking about, you just have to see how special this book is. So check out this cute video....

Pretty Cool? Right?? Who would have thought a bunch of rigid well studied Germans could have pulled this off! So Move Over Little Brown Mushroom Books.. there's a new smarter german kid in town!

Winkleman's images explore the concepts of "us" and "them", and they truly show the reader, 2 fractions of a place, and how people can co-inhabit a community but living parallel lives. This is strongly explored by flipping through both sides of this dual book. It allows the reader to create numerous diptychs, and hence every reading tells a slightly different story, just as each individual experience different realities within society.

So just 2 additional MAO picky thought/suggestions to the publishers, if when they do a second edition..

1. While we liked the informative essay by the Godfather of the photo blog world.. Dr. Jorg M. Colberg. We really would have loved if this book had included a list of photo titles/credits.. cause we're still guessing about some of these images. Which I guess was totally intentional....

2. It could have used a printed title somewhere on the spine of the case. FYI.. Once you put this wonderful little black book on a bookshelf.. you may never find it again!! It's just a solid black unmarked spine/edge.. so we totally lost this book for a week in our messy NYC loft. OUCH!

Anyway... Conditions is an edition of only 300 books.. all numbered.. so if you have any interest in this wonderful book.. you better get one very soon!!

It's sure to sell out fast because we herd they make outstanding stocking stuffers.

New Great Photobook #1 - Infidel by Tim Hetheringtontag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e20133f6497695970b2010-11-24T10:15:23-05:002010-11-29T21:25:14-05:00New Great Photobook #1 - Infidel by Tim Hetherington. This is one of the best new photobooks we've seen in 2010. Paperback: 240 pages Publisher: Chris Boot (September 30, 2010) Language: English Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches Infidel is an intimate photo essay of a U.S. Army platoon assigned to an outpost in one of the most hostile areas of the Koregal Vallery in Afganastan. We loved both the Hetherington photos as well as the thoughtful design and production quality of this book. It's been printed in the size and style of an Army Field Manual or...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

Infidel is an intimate photo essay of a U.S. Army platoon assigned to an outpost in one of the most hostile areas of the Koregal Vallery in Afganastan.

We loved both the Hetherington photos as well as the thoughtful design and production quality of this book. It's been printed in the size and style of an Army Field Manual or maybe even The Bible. It has a thick black plastic cover, with nothing but a tattoo style drawing of the word Infidel. (Photo #1, Infidel book cover)

This is not your typical macho wartime soldier photo essay. The young soldiers in Hetherington's photos look relaxed and almost casual in their hostile environment.

This series comes across surprisingly tender and with a surprising amount of vulnerabilility even while many of these men are sporting huge guns and camouflage uniforms.

The viewer can't help but feel at times these photos seem raw, sexy, and of course a bit homo erotic.

About Tim HetheringtonTim Hetherington was born in Liverpool, UK, and took up photojournalism after studying literature at Oxford University. Awards for his photojournalism include a Hasselblad Foundation Award (2002), World Press Photo of the Year 2007 (for a photograph featured in the Infidel), the Rory Peck Award for TV Features (2008), and an Alfred I duPont Award (2009). Tim Hetherington is also an acclaimed documentary filmmaker who has reported on conflict and social issues for over ten years. This recent work of platoon soldiers in Afghanistan includes the film Restrepo, co-directed and co-produced with Sebastian Junger, and was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Tim is based in New York and is a contributing photographer to Vanity Fair magazine.

The Best and Most Useful Books about PhotoBooks!!tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e2013489169371970c2010-11-18T14:55:20-05:002010-11-19T11:06:29-05:00The Best Books about PhotoBooks!! So.. at MAO we got an email the other day asking what the best resources are for collecting photobooks. Sadly.. we accidentally deleted this person's email.. SHIT...OOPS! So we couldn't answer this person directly. My apologies to that person! BUT, Since it's a good topic, we thought it was worthwhile of a full posting filled with our vapid, self serving studied thoughts on this important topic. FYI.. We are going to be dedicating the next few blog posts to some new and exciting photobook discoveries.. so stay tuned Photobook geeksAficionados! OK.. So what are THE...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

The Best Books about PhotoBooks!!

So.. at MAO we got an email the other day asking what the best resources are for collecting photobooks. Sadly.. we accidentally deleted this person's email.. SHIT...OOPS! So we couldn't answer this person directly. My apologies to that person!

BUT, Since it's a good topic, we thought it was worthwhile of a full posting filled with our vapid, self serving studied thoughts on this important topic.

FYI.. We are going to be dedicating the next few blog posts to some new and exciting photobook discoveries.. so stay tuned Photobook geeksAficionados!

OK.. So what are THE BEST books on Collecting Photobooks? Well, Here is MAO's list.. in a totally biased order of importance..

It's got 9 chapters, and really covers a full range of the best historical photography books.

Many were little known or infrequently seen titles..but now frequently show up at book fairs and auctions with big price tags.

Rumors always circle that these opportunistic authors/editors bought up as many as possible of these photobooks before they published this text book. Hmm.... MAO wonders how this effected which photobook got included?

All suspicions aside, this is a well researched text book, with a lot of detailed information about each of the photobooks included.

Most of you will know Martin Parr..as an accomplished British color photographer, "some people" would even say Martian Parr is a better scholar/bookmaker than a photographer.

MAO's not 100% sure..but we've heard several people say this. You be the judge.

This one is A must for any photobook collector.

Note: Copies of this textbook are available on amazon.... 2nd or 3rd editions!

So this is also a very large format book...288 pages. This one is very well researched with lots of text to describe each of the books.

But, these are mostly very historical photobooks, most are pre-1960.. about 250 books are listed. Many of these books are totally unknown to modern photobook collecting people. Mostly cause these are OLD RARE books..think VERY expensive and impossible to find, except for a few important libraries around the world.

But this text book brings together several important scholars, and lots of color pictures of the books. So, you'll almost feel like you've to the Eastman House!

This textbook is also available...on Amazon..I'd guess not too many people have seen this book of photobooks.

This is a large well illustrated book of photobooks which only focus on the nude image.

We find it well researched, and probably under known by the photography book collecting world.

This large book reviews work covering the 20th century published nude including erotic photography books from a predominately European perspective.

The individual books are described and photos of the open books are provided across the 280 pages. There is some real historical value here. It's one well worth checking out.

OK..

So..that is the MAO Top 8 Books on Photobooks. If you have any others you'd suggest..please let us know!

Gratutitous Self Promotion....tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e20133f5f6b4ad970b2010-11-17T10:40:46-05:002010-11-17T11:44:10-05:00If you're not seen this months issue of Modern Painters Magazine... This month they did a great job of putting together an issue dedicated to Art Photography. Not exactly what you would expect from a magazine titled "Modern Painters" No? But it's a really great issue.. and it also has this handsome featured photo collector story, which MAO thinks is well worth your time to checkout... Download ModernPainters_MagProfile_Story_Nov2010 On your News Stands now!! Also.. a big thank you goes out to this thoughtful to nice to be an art dealer blogger.. for actually quoting MAO in his BLOG from this...MAO - Modern Art Obsession

Interesting Contemporary Art Content on YouTube.. Slim Pickings.. But Getting Better?tag:typepad.com,2003:post-6a00d83451694c69e20133f5cbf545970b2010-11-12T13:25:52-05:002010-11-12T13:25:52-05:00Contemporary Art Content on YouTube.. ??? Is there anything worth while?? Given all the amazing potential of YouTube.com, there remains in MAO's not sohumble opinion, VERY Slim Pickings. Most arer a total waste of time.. armature type stuff. But maybe things are getting getting a little better? There are sadly only... 3 YouTubers that come to mind.. which we think are well worth checking out. 1. The Madness of Art by Jim Kempner Fine Art.. Tt's totally funny and true.. This one is a must watch for any NYC Contemporary Art junkie enthusiast. Bravo Jim.. for such a wonderful effort....MAO - Modern Art Obsession

2. The Two Percent Tube by David Behringer. A regular New Yorkers take on Contemporary Art in NYC... It's not exactly ArtForum.. but then again, who would want to be...?

The Two Percent is a website that gives contemporary art recommendations in New York City. This week, a very special "10th EPISODE SPECIAL", "SECOND HELPING" talks about a show of abstract expressionist work at Cheim & Read running concurrently with the AbEx show at the Moma, "TRIPLE THREATS" include Tony Oursler @ Lehmann Maupin, Robert Rauschenberg @ Gagosian, and Roxy Paine @ James Cohan Gallery. If you're in New York, give the new podcast audio tour a try! Check out www.thetwopercent.com for more.

3. The Terence Koh Show... OK..well.. You my not like his artwork.. but maybe he just happens to be the most active attempt by a completely self promotionalin-the-know uber successful NYC contemporary artist.. He's not done an update for 4 months, but hopefully we will see more on YouTube from Mr. Koh.